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Grossmont Union High School District elections (2016)
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Two of the five seats on the Grossmont Union High School District Governing Board were up for by-district general election on November 8, 2016. The race for the open Trustee Area 1 seat featured candidates Steve Babbitt, Chris Fite, Richard Preciado, and Rolland Slade, and Fite won. Trustee Area 2 incumbent Jim Stieringer ran against challengers Kevin Conover, Elva Salinas, and Oday Yousif Jr. Salinas won election to the seat.[1][2][3] On top of choosing new school board members, citizens of the district also voted on a $128 million bond measure on November 8, 2016.[4]
The 2016 school board election was the first time the district used the by-district election method. Prior to 2016, elections were held at large.[5]
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Grossmont Union Governing Board consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Elections are held by district on a staggered basis every November of even-numbered years. Three seats were up for election on November 4, 2014, and two seats were up for election on November 8, 2016. There was no primary election.[6]
To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to register with the county elections office by August 12, 2016. If incumbents did not file by that deadline, the filing deadline was extended for non-incumbent candidates until August 17, 2016. In order to qualify as candidates, they had to be at least 18 years old, citizens of California, residents of the school district, registered voters, and "not legally disqualified from holding civil office," according to the bylaws of the Grossmont Union Governing Board. Once they took office, school board members could not be employed by the school district.[7][8]
To vote in this election, residents of the school district had to register by October 24, 2016.[9] Photo identification was not required to vote in this election.[10]
Candidates and results
Area 1
Results
| Grossmont Union High School District, Area 1 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Chris Fite |
32.38% | 9,240 |
| Steve Babbitt | 25.15% | 7,176 |
| Richard Preciado | 23.00% | 6,563 |
| Rolland Slade | 19.48% | 5,559 |
| Total Votes | 28,538 | |
| Source: San Diego County Registrar of Voters, "Presidential General Election - Tuesday, November 8, 2016," accessed December 9, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Steve Babbitt | Chris Fite 
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| Richard Preciado | Rolland Slade | ||
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Area 2
Results
| Grossmont Union High School District, Area 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Elva Salinas |
34.76% | 11,952 |
| Jim Stieringer Incumbent | 27.88% | 9,587 |
| Kevin Conover | 26.99% | 9,281 |
| Oday Yousif Jr. | 10.37% | 3,567 |
| Total Votes | 34,387 | |
| Source: San Diego County Registrar of Voters, "Presidential General Election - Tuesday, November 8, 2016," accessed December 9, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Jim Stieringer | Kevin Conover | ||
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| Elva Salinas
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Oday Yousif Jr. | ||
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: California elections, 2016
The district's school board election shared the ballot with a bond measure for the school district, two bond measures for San Diego County, a number of statewide ballot measures, and with elections for the following offices:[11][12]
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Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for California school board elections in 2016:[13][14]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| August 1, 2016 | Semi-annual campaign finance report due |
| August 10, 2016 - November 8, 2016 | 24-hour campaign contribution reporting period |
| August 12, 2016 | Candidate filing deadline |
| August 17, 2016 | Extended filing deadline for non-incumbent candidates for open seats |
| September 29, 2016 | First pre-election campaign finance report due |
| October 24, 2016 | Voter registration deadline |
| October 27, 2016 | Second pre-election campaign finance report due |
| November 8, 2016 | Election Day |
| January 31, 2017 | Semi-annual campaign finance report due |
Endorsements
The Republican Party of San Diego County endorsed Trustee Area 1 candidate Steve Babbitt and Trustee Area 2 candidate Kevin Conover, and the San Diego County Democratic Party endorsed Trustee Area 1 candidate Chris Fite and Trustee Area 2 candidate Oday Yousif Jr.[15][16] The community organization Evolve also endorsed Yousif.[17] Babbitt was further endorsed by the Grossmont Education Association and the DeMaio Report on NewsRadio 600.[18][19]
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
Candidates in this race were required to file two pre-election reports. The first was due on September 29, 2016, and the second was due on October 27, 2016. If candidates received more than $1,000 from a single source between August 10, 2016, and November 8, 2016, they had to file a campaign finance report within 24 hours of receiving the contribution.[14]
Candidates who did not raise or spend more than $2,000 on their campaigns had to file an exemption form by September 29, 2016. They did not have to file additional campaign finance reports.[14]
Candidates who had a remaining balance from previous campaigns or who had raised or spent money on their campaigns prior to the candidate filing deadline had to file a semi-annual campaign finance report by August 1, 2016. The next semi-annual campaign finance report was due January 31, 2017.[14]
Reports
Candidates received a total of $47,389.84 and spent a total of $43,937.06 in the election, according to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.[20]
Trustee Area 1
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Babbitt | $11,345.00 | $11,345.00 | $0.00 |
| Chris Fite | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Richard Preciado | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Rolland Slade | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Trustee Area 2
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Stieringer | $20,600.00 | $20,600.00 | $0.00 |
| Kevin Conover | $14,484.00 | $11,031.22 | $3,452.78 |
| Elva Salinas | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Oday Yousif Jr. | $960.84 | $960.84 | $0.00 |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
2016
Issues in the election
Measure BB
In addition to choosing two candidates for the Grossmont Union High School District Governing Board on November 8, 2016, citizens of the district voted on Measure BB, a $128 million bond measure. A 55 percent majority was required for the measure to pass.[4] It was approved with over 57 percent of the vote.[21] The question appeared on the ballot as follows:
| “ | To upgrade East County high school classrooms/labs/facilities; repair aging roofs, plumbing/electrical systems; modernize technology infrastructure; improve student safety/security; replace deteriorated portables; construct new school facilities to accommodate growth; and renovate career-training facilities for instruction in science, technology, engineering, math and skilled trades; shall Grossmont Union High School District issue $128,000,000 in bonds at legal interest rates, with independent citizen oversight, annual audits, no funding for administrator salaries, and all money benefitting East County high schools?[22] | ” |
| —Grossmont Union High School District (2016)[4] | ||
Issues in the district
District sues charter schools
The Grossmont Union High School District filed a lawsuit against the Julian Union Elementary School District and two charter schools—Julian Charter School Alpine Academy and Diego Valley Charter School—in 2015. The lawsuit was filed after Julian Union Elementary authorized the creation of satellite charter schools outside of the district's boundaries. The two charter schools named in the lawsuit were opened in the Grossmont Union High School District without the district's knowledge and without listing the addresses of the charter schools on its petition, according to the lawsuit.[23]
In June 2016, the San Diego Unified School District joined Grossmont Union High's lawsuit against Julian Union Elementary after satellite charter schools were also allegedly opened inside its boundaries without San Diego Unified's knowledge. Though satellite charter schools are allowed, the law requires a school district to be notified of any new charter schools opening inside its boundaries.[23]
Julian Union Elementary received a portion of its authorized charter schools' revenue for providing oversight. By opening charter schools outside of its boundaries, it also did not lose students or the state funding attached to them. Julian Union Elementary Superintendent Brian Duffy did not comment on the lawsuit, but he said, "Julian Union School District strives to provide the best programs for students."[23]
The satellite charter schools in the Grossmont Union High and San Diego Unified school districts were set up as “resource centers,” which kept students in classrooms less than 80 percent of the time. Officials in the San Diego Unified School District, however, said they did not believe the charters were acting as resource centers. “We don’t believe they are resource centers,” said Andra Donovan, San Diego Unified’s general counsel. “If you want to operate a charter in San Diego Unified, apply to San Diego Unified. You’ve got a school district that’s relying on charter school revenue to stay afloat.”[23]
“When another school district authorizes a charter that goes and operates in our boundaries and without our approval, we are no longer completely overseeing education in our boundaries,” said Grossmont Union Deputy Superintendent of Business Services Scott Patterson. “It gets into accountability. Grossmont taxpayers are paying taxes that are going to Julian.”[23]
The California Charter Schools Association responded to the lawsuit by saying the Grossmont Union High and San Diego Unified school districts did not understand the law. The association said the charter schools named in the lawsuit were "non-classroom-based schools that by law may locate outside of the the [sic] district that authorizes them."[24]
| “ | The issue here is simple: what's best for students and for learning? The issue is not: what's the best way to keep fueling an antiquated system? If students' educational needs met aren't being met by the traditional system, they deserve to access programs that will meet their needs. Building barriers to prevent them from doing so is simply wrong.
It is time to put politics aside and support parents and students who seek alternatives to the status quo. These schools are not breaking the law. They are doing exactly what the charter law envisioned: providing flexibility, choice, and above all, better options for students and families.[22] |
” |
| —California Charter Schools Association (June 28, 2016)[24] | ||
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About the district
The Grossmont Union High School District is located in San Diego County in southern California. The county seat is San Diego. San Diego County was home to 3,299,521 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[25] The district was the 60th-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 22,555 students.[26]
Demographics
San Diego County outperformed California as a whole in terms of higher education achievement between 2010 and 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 35.1 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 31 percent of state residents. The median household income for San Diego County was $63,996, compared to $61,489 for the entire state. The percentage of people in poverty in the county was 14.7 percent, while it was 16.4 percent statewide.[25]
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Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Grossmont Union High School District' 'California'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Grossmont Union High School District | California | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ San Diego County Registrar of Voters, "Candidate List: 2016 General Election," accessed August 17, 2016
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine," August 19, 2016
- ↑ San Diego County, "General Election - Tuesday, November 8, 2016," accessed November 9, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 San Diego County Registrar of Voters, "Measure BB," accessed October 24, 2016
- ↑ San Diego Union Tribune, "County board of education hears from Grossmont," March 18, 2016
- ↑ Grossmont Union High School District, "Governing Board," accessed July 20, 2016
- ↑ Grossmont Union High School District, "BB 9220: Governing Board Elections," accessed July 20, 2016
- ↑ California Elections Code, “Part 5, Section 10600-10604: School District And Community College District Governing Board Elections,” accessed June 15, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Voter Registration," accessed June 13, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "California Online Voter Registration," accessed June 13, 2016
- ↑ San Diego County Registrar of Voters, "Candidate List: 2016 General Election," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ San Diego County Registrar of Voters, "Local Measures for November 8, 2016: County of San Diego," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "November 8, 2016, General Election Calendar," accessed July 27, 2016
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 California Fair Political Practices Commission, "Filing Schedule for Candidates and Controlled Committees for Local Office Being Voted on November 8, 2016," accessed July 27, 2016
- ↑ The Republican Party of San Diego County, "2016 General Election: Local Endorsements," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ San Diego County Democratic Party, "Democratic Candidates 2016," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ Evolve, "Endorsements: November 8, 2016 General Election," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ Facebook, "GEA Action post from October 12, 2016," accessed October 24, 2016
- ↑ NewsRadio 600, "San Diego Voter Guide: SCHOOL CANDIDATES," October 4, 2016
- ↑ San Diego County Registrar of Voters, "CampaignDocs eRetrieval: Search by Candidate's Last Name," accessed February 23, 2017
- ↑ San Diego County Elections Office, "Presidential General Election: Tuesday, November 8, 2016," accessed November 14, 2016
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 The San Diego Union-Tribune, "Julian charter schools under fire," June 27, 2016
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 California Charter Schools Association, "CCSA Responds to Misguided Lawsuit Against Non-Classroom-Based Charters," June 28, 2016
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 United States Census Bureau, "San Diego County, California," accessed June 16, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ San Diego County Registrar of Voters, "Presidential General Election November 6, 2012, Official Results," accessed July 14, 2014
- ↑ San Diego County Registrar of Voters, "Presidential General Election November 4, 2008, Official Results," accessed July 14, 2014
- ↑ San Diego County Registrar of Voters, "General Election November 2, 2004, Final Official Results," accessed July 14, 2014
- ↑ San Diego County Registrar of Voters, "General Election November 7, 2000," accessed July 14, 2014
| 2016 Grossmont Union High School District Elections | |
| San Diego County, California | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | Trustee Area 1: • Steve Babbitt • Chris Fite • Richard Preciado • Rolland Slade Trustee Area 2: • Incumbent, Jim Stieringer • Kevin Conover • Elva Salinas • Oday Yousif Jr. |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
